Louis van Gaal has ended Manchester United’s interest in Toni Kroos, in what represents the new manager’s first major decision regarding the rebuilding of his squad this summer …

Yet despite his ability to also play in the No10 role or as box-to-box midfielder, Van Gaal, who is aware of Kroos’s abilities from his own time managing Bayern, has decided he should not be a target for the club this close season.

The Guardian has more, particularly in regards to Kroos’s current contract. Entering the last year of his deal, the German international’s transfer status could be the function of what’s become a contentious negotiation with Bayern. Ideally, the club would like to keep him, but as club president Karl Hopfner notes, the player’s demands need to all more inline with his club’s.

But today’s story is less Kroos’s contract than the transfer saga, with England’s press becoming increasingly obsessed with United’s rebuild. Expect more of this back-and-forth as the summer plays out.